There’s no denying that a big chunk of Justified is about violence. The whole show started with the main character facing repercussions from a justified shooting. Said main character is infamous for his quick trigger finger and established body count. And just look at the cover of the second season DVD release. Violence is a part of this show. In fact, I’d argue that it’s got the same kind of “almost anyone can die” unpredictability that 24 had. Unless your name is Raylan Givens, you might end up dead.
And when an episode is titled “When The Guns Come Out,” it’s not hard to jump to conclusions. People are going to get holes in places and probably die.
So an attack on Boyd’s new Oxycontin clinic killed two people. Raylan was not thrilled that the goings-on happened at his beloved Aunt Helen’s old place, or that his father’s dragged his name into the mess. Boyd immediately suspected the creepy Quarles (Neal McDonough), but Quarles wasn’t behind it. He was probably too busy doing whatever disgusting thing he’s doing to that guy he’s got bound, gagged and mostly naked in the bedroom of his house. The real culprit was one of Ellstin Limehouse’s (Mykelti Williamson) guys, who got schooled in how not to start wars between people you don’t like.
By episode’s end I counted three dead people and a few more who’d been beaten up. There were bruised knuckles and stray bullets.
But here’s the thing: that’s not what this episode was really about. It represented something neat about Justified as a whole: while violence is part of the equation, that’s not what the show is. And while this episode was not painless, it was less about the acts of violence than it was about their consequences.
Take Raylan, for example. Yes, Winona left him again (though I’ll believe it when they stay broken up), for the same reason she left him before: he has no interest in changing. He is what he is, and his nature – she correctly pointed out his body count has continued to rise since they discussed leaving Lexington last season – is not good for raising a child. I’m no Winona fan, but she has a point; while Raylan obviously wants to be a good father, and I’m sure he’ll make every effort to be one, I don’t know if he necessarily can be with the path that he’s chosen. And even if he wanted to change, I don’t think he should; you don’t mess with greatness. Unless something tragic should happen to this child, I think we’re going to see a lot of very interesting material on how Raylan’s nature will conflict with this unintended detour in his life.
Then there’s Limehouse. He might not seem very fond of either Boyd or Quarles, but he’s speaking the truth when he takes his random henchman to task for trying to play them off each other. He makes that guy and the audience aware that what we saw this week could have been a whole lot worse. And honestly, it probably will be by the end of the season, with a psycho like Quarles involved. I used to have a crush on Neal McDonough after Boomtown, and this show is on its way to burying that, too.
For all the talk about the violence on this show, we’d be well served to remember that’s not what Justified is. There will be blood, but there’s so much more underneath.
Clacked by Brittany Frederick 
on Feb 22, 2012 @ 03:37 EST5EDT
